Mike Condon, Are His Days in Montreal Numbered?
by Matt Smith, Staff Writer/Social Media Specialist, All Habs Hockey Magazine
BROSSARD, QC. — The final buzzer sounded at the Bell Centre April 9th, Mike Condon celebrating with the rest of the Canadiens after a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, but failing to make the playoffs after an injury plagued season. Was this win his last as a member of the Montreal Canadiens after being pushed into the starting role for one of the biggest hockey markets in the league? It certainly could have been.
Mike Condon, Goaltender, Montreal Canadiens
April 27, 1990 | Holliston, Massachusetts, United States
6-2, 197 lbs. | Catches L
2015-’16 Stats: 55 GP, 21 W, 25 L, .903 SV%, 2.71 GAA, 1 SO
The Montreal Canadiens signed undrafted NCAA goaltender Mike Condon to a two-year entry-level contract May of 2013. He suited up for just three games for the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, the first being a 20 min shutout performance in relief of Dustin Tokarski. He finished his short tenure in the AHL that season with a 1-1 record, posting a 2.48 GAA and a .909 SV% before being assigned to the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. As a member of the Nailers, Condon finished in the ECHL’s top-10 in goals-against average, save percentage (1st .931), wins, shutouts, minutes played and saves while finishing the season with a 23-12-0-4 record.
Condon joined the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs for the 2014-2015 season and became their starting goaltender, outperforming former NHL goaltender Joey MacDonald finishing the season with a 23-19-6-0 record, posting a 2.44 GAA, .921 SV% and four shutouts. His performance would earn him a two year extension worth $1.15 millon going into 2015-2016.
During the 2015-2016 preseason, Condon heavily outplayed backup Dustin Tokarski, posting a 1-0-0-1 record with a 1.000 SV% and a 0.00 GAA, compared to Tokarski’s 0-1-0-0 record with a .784 SV% and a 5.33 GAA. The Montreal Canadiens clearly had found a new backup for Carey Price.
After such a promising start to the 2015-2016 regular season, the injury bug plagued the Montreal Canadiens propelling them down the standings and out of playoff contention. The most notable injury was suffered by MVP goaltender Carey Price, who played only 12 games posting outstanding numbers once again. Price finished with a 10-2-0-0 record, with a 2.06 GAA and a .934 SV% with two shutouts. The Canadiens downplayed the injury to Price throughout the season, and chose not to trade for another capable starting goaltender hoping their MVP would soon return.
Enter backup Mike Condon, who had never played a game at the NHL level when the season started, and had only one full season at the AHL-level on his professional resume. After starting his NHL career with a 7-1-2 record, the role of starter obviously was one Condon was not ready for, as he won only two games in the month of December. This led to the Canadiens trading forward Zach Kassian to the Edmonton Oilers for goaltender Ben Scrivens as it was very apparent that the tandem of Condon and Tokarski were unable to carry the load. This trade however, as we all know did very little to fix the Habs goaltending issues.
Condon did however have moments of glory as he shined on January 1st, playing in his home state of Massachusetts at the 2016 Winter Classic, leading the Habs to a 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins, a game all fans had circled on their calendars. He would also pick up his first career shutout against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 31st, making 26 saves for the win.
Condon finished the 2015-2016 season with a 21-25-6 record, owning the worst save percentage in the league among goalies who played more than 3000 minutes (.903), and third worst goals against average (2.71) playing for an injury-plagued Canadiens team. However, he was the Canadiens nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded each year to the player who shows the most determination. Condon also appeared in the most games for a Habs rookie goaltender (55) since Ken Dryden played 64 games in 1971-1972 and also represented the United States during the 2016 World Hockey Championships.
Many fans question Marc Bergevin’s decision to put Condon in this situation and not picking up another goaltender, but as the duration of Price’s absence was unknown, and with his success during the early season, perhaps the Habs GM thought Condon would be capable of carrying the load until Price returned.
As the 2016-2017 season approaches, Carey Price is once again healthy, eager to represent Canada at the World Cup of Hockey in September and lead the Canadiens back into the playoffs, while Mike Condon is ready to assume his duties as an NHL backup.
This is what we all assumed, that is, until Marc Bergevin surprised us all during free agent frenzy, by signing veteran backup Al Montoya to a one-year contract. Montoya finished the 2015-2016 with a 12-7-3 record as a member of the Florida Panthers, with a 2.18 GAA and a .919 SV%. These numbers, and the fact he’s much more experienced than Condon, make him the current favorite to backup Carey Price for the 2016-2017 season.
So what happens to Mike Condon now? He now enters training camp as the underdog, battling with Montoya to regain the position he started in last season. He has already outperformed an NHL backup in the past to secure a position, but will he be able to pull it off again is the question?
The Canadiens are now left with three goaltenders on their NHL roster, which they “could” realistically play with, but I believe that Mike Condon will be moved elsewhere. It’s very rare for a team to carry three goalies, especially when one of them is named Carey Price and that roster spot would be better suited for an extra forward or defenceman. Many fans will say, assign him to the St. John’s IceCaps, but that would ignore the fact that Condon is not waivers-exempt, and he’d have to clear to be assigned to the AHL. Personally, I cannot see happening.
One realistic destination would be the Anaheim Ducks, who recently traded goaltender Frederik Anderson to the Toronto Maple Leafs, leaving John Gibson as the club’s starter. Condon spent the past season as a starter, and has a very cap friendly hit of only $575,000. The Montreal Canadiens have been rumored to be interested in Cam Fowler, could we see Condon included in a package to bolster their blueline, while once again battling to take a backup job from Dustin Tokarski?
After the moves that have already been made since the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, anything is possible.